20 Comfortable Family Rooms

Wisconsin homeowners built vintage charm into their new vacation home by using local building materials. Stones excavated from the property were used to construct the fireplace, and all the timber used—in beams, walls, exposed rafters and interior walls—was harvested within 30 miles of the home.

Stone walls, beamed ceilings and slate flooring transformed a former two-car garage into a knockout family room. Four roomy woven wicker chairs create a conversation area. The TV is inside the antique armoire.

This casual, English country-inspired family room achieves a sense of the past with decorative items such as needlepoint pillows, a rug-upholstered ottoman/coffee table, slipcovered seating, vintage art and a Dutch door. All promote the feel of a more relaxed time. Electronics are housed in a cabinet across from the fireplace.

Built-in custom cabinetry above and beside the fireplace hides the TV and any clutter. The soothing color scheme includes grays, tans, creams and wood tones under a wood ceiling. An open table serves as a desk and divides the kitchen area from this sophisticated family room.

An angled furniture grouping anchors this lower-level townhouse family room. The console table against the wall acts as a bar for entertaining, while the large woven coffee table offers plenty of room for serving informal snacks. Side chairs and the ottoman can be turned toward the entertainment center. A large mirror reflects light and visually enlarges the space.

A large sectional offers seating for the whole family in this TV room (the entertainment center is along the opposite wall). An equally big coffee table accommodates entertaining, games or stacks of magazines. On the walls, sizable nature prints reflect the scale of the furniture.

Oversize rural antiques, such as the tobacco basket, pitchfork and folded quilt, emphasize the country feel in this family room. Built-in bookcases and a ledge behind the sofa add interesting display and storage space. Leather swivel chairs can face the conversation area or turn to face the TV (the entertainment center is across from the sofa). Ottomans can be used as seating or foot rests.

This garden basement family room benefits from the warm tones of wood, leather and grayish-blue upholstery and paint. Electronics are hidden in the armoire. Deep windowsills show off a collection of old wood wheels and machine parts; shades darken the room for movie watching. Same-style sofas are upholstered in two different fabrics with flip-flopped pillows.

Large windows, paneling and a coffered ceiling make this casual room seem like anything but a typical basement. The colors of leaves and wood define the decor of this space. Two seating areas allow family and guests to gather either around the fireplace or a home theater. See the next slide for the theater area.

The family room reflects its farmhouse inspiration with rustic beams, a hayloft window and a paneled, vaulted ceiling. Solid-color upholstery gets a punch from a country-colored and patterned throw, quilt and rug.

Rich brown walls, a lime-green-painted TV/armoire and an oversize piece of art make this room memorable. Slipcovers on seating can be easily removed for cleaning. To divide the room from the neighboring kitchen, the homeowners built a long bookcase topped with interior windows.

White paint updates stock built-in cabinetry in this suburban family room. The color not only lightens the room it also makes the fireplace area more of a focal point, especially with the addition of a black-and-white piece of art.

One distinctive item, such as a piece of art, rug or pillow, can influence an entire room's color scheme. Here, the painting over the mantel inspired the color choices. A wall of white built-in cabinetry hides the TV and clutter for a serene vibe.

A neutral color palette allows the floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace to be a focal point without overwhelming this room. The large square leather ottoman serves as a coffee table, while the muted striped rug adds a touch of pattern.

A balanced arrangement works especially well when you have a direct view toward a fireplace. Here, the bookcases, sofas and even the jars on the mantel are all placed symmetrically. The painted bookcase backs pick up the color of the green mantel jars.

Dark brown rattan chairs with navy cushions set the stage for a family room where a sharp contrast between dark and light offers a crisp look. A barrel ceiling and white board paneling add texture and detail.

A crisp white kitchen extends into a white-walled family room, where the furniture and rug provide blue accents. To bring the blue up the walls, the homeowners hung blue-tone art and painted the backs of the bookcases. Furniture is pulled away from walls to form a cozy grouping around the fireplace and TV.

In this big family room, a vintage battleship flag grounds the space and sets the tone for a red-and-blue color scheme. In keeping with the theme, the large sectional and leather chairs sport star pillows.